BUFFALO, N.Y. — This week, multiple states have seen an uptick in town hall meetings, reportedly driven by constituents eager to confront their representatives.
However, Republican officials have pushed back, claiming that Democratic activists are orchestrating disruptions at these events, often paying individuals to create chaos.
Wednesday night, the group "Good Neighbors Getting it Done in WNY" organized a town hall meeting inviting their Congressman, Nick Langworthy, to discuss pressing issues. However, Langworthy did not attend, prompting backlash from organizers who left an empty seat intentionally saved for him.
“Every congressman has a duty to talk to their constituents,” event organizer, Kathleen King said.
On Thursday Langworthy sat down with me and explained why he declined the invitation.
“This is a campaign going across the country, it’s a political astroturf move where organizations...sound like they are community-oriented, but really, they are part of a nationwide network of leftist activists known as Indivisible,” Langworthy said. “An element to create a charade that there is angry people.”
The Indivisible Project is a grassroots movement that emerged in 2016, aimed at resisting the Trump administration's agenda and advocating for a democracy “of, by, and for the people.” Also saying “Indivisible groups around the country get the word out when they see a town hall is announced. However, the idea that indivisible groups alone can account for the outrage Republicans are feeling is laughable.”
Organizers, King and Sarah Metcalf told me they are volunteers, motivated by genuine concerns for their community.
"We are all volunteers, we don't have funding, we don’t even have a bank account," Metcalf said. “I find it really disappointing that a member of the House of Representatives has been so misled by misinformation that their press releases would include false and disparaging statements about their western New York constituents.”
“We use a telephone town hall,” Langworthy said. “I’m happy to talk to people who disagree with me, I like to take their calls and listen to that difference of opinion, but it has to be respectful.”
The organizers also have plans to visit the Lockport office of Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney on Friday.
